KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality has closed more than 85 violating basements being commercially exploited in investment properties during its inspection campaign, which began on August 4. The head of the municipality's violations department Abdullah Jaber said in a statement to reporters on the sidelines of a tour by inspection teams in the Capital governorate on Wednesday that a violating basement that was being commercially exploited in an investment building in the Capital governorate was closed.

Jaber explained the campaign aims to ensure that the owners are committed to evacuating violating warehouses and abide by their commitments to the regulations and laws of the municipality and fire department. He stressed the need to vacate violating basements voluntarily by the owners of the properties, stressing that non-compliance with the laws of the Municipality and Kuwait Fire Force will lead the owner to be given citations, including administrative closure and a block on the owner of the property.

Jaber pointed out that the application of the law aims to preserve the lives of people, explaining the ignition of these materials poses a real danger to residents of these buildings, and also poses difficulties for the fire force to put out fires with the presence of these dangerous materials. He pointed out the campaign will continue until it is confirmed that there is no basement rented in investment buildings in violation of the requirements of the Kuwait Fire Force, pointing out there will be no exceptions to removing stores in investment buildings that violate the law and threaten people's lives.

Meanwhile, during an inspection campaign on violating basements, a basement in Mahboula was found to be brewing alcoholic beverages illegally. "Fifty-eight basements were found to be violating regulations during the campaign on basements which started three weeks ago," manager of the inspection department of Hawally Municipality Mubarak Al-Ajmi said. "Blocks on 30 of these basements have been made, and an eviction period has been given to eight basements," he said. Twenty other violating properties are awaiting further legal procedures.